@,,,@,,,@, @@@,@,@@,@
@,,@@,,@@, ,,@@@@,@@,
@,@,@,@,@@ ,@,,,@@,@@
@@@@@@@@,@ @@,,@,@@,,
,,,,,,,@@, ,@,@@@,@,@
,,,,,,@,@@ WINDS ESKER @@@,,@@@@@
,,,,,@@@,, ---------------------------------------- ,,@,@,,,,@
,,,,@,,@,@ ,@@@@,,,@@
,,,@@,@@@, THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS @,,,@,,@,@
,,@,@@,,@, I COULDN'T GO TO. REGARDLESS HOW MUCH @,,@@,@@@@
,@@@,@,@@, DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS, OR POINTED OUT @,@,@@,,,@
@,,@@@@,@@ ON MAPS, I COULD NOT THINK OF IT WHEN @@@@,@,,@@
@,@,,,@@,@ ALONE. I WOULD OFTEN TRAVEL PAST THE ,,,@@@,@,,
@@@,,@,@@@ FORK, WHERE A RIGHT TURN WOULD SURELY ,,@,,@@@,@
,,@,@@@,,@ TAKE ME THERE, BUT EVEN THEN, SOMETHING ,@@,@,,@@,
,@@@,,@,@@ KEPT ME AWAY. @,@@@,@,@,
@,,@,@@@,, @@,,@@@@@,
@,@@@,,@,@ WHEN I FINALLY GOT THERE, AFTER SOME ,@,@,,,,@@
@@,,@,@@@, HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST @@@@,,,@,,
,@,@@@,,@@ ASSUME, THE PLACE WAS SURREAL. AN ,,,@,,@@,@
@@@,,@,@,, ESKER, LIKE A NEEDLE-THIN RIFT OUT IN ,,@@,@,@@@
,,@,@@@@,, THE LAKE, BUT TEN METERS HIGH AND ,@,@@@@,,,
,@@@,,,@,, ADORNED IN BIRCH, WILLOW, BRACKEN, AND @@@,,,@,,,
@,,@,,@@,@ BLUEBERRIES. ,,@,,@@,,,
@,@@,@,@@@ ,@@,@,@,,@
@@,@@@@,,@ WALKING ATOP THAT SPINE, I CAME TO @,@@@@@,@,
,@@,,,@,@, NOTICE THE VIEW TO EITHER SIDE. THERE @@,,,,@@@@
@,@,,@@@@, SHOULD BE SHORES, OF COURSE, BUT I ,@,,,@,,,@
@@@,@,,,@, DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THEM. FIRST OFF, THEY @@,,@@,,@,
,,@@@,,@@, WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS THE LAKE SHOULD ,@,@,@,@@@
,@,,@,@,@, STRETCH FOR A HUNDRED METERS MORE ON @@@@@@@,,@
@@,@@@@@@@ BOTH SIDES. BUT NOW I FELT I COULD ,,,,,,@,@@
,@@,,,,,,@ ALMOST REACH OUT AND TOUCH THEM. AND ,,,,,@@@,,
@,@,,,,,@@ THEN, WHEN I REALIZED WHICH SHORES THEY ,,,,@,,@,,
@@@,,,,@,, WERE, I HAD TO STOP. ,,,@@,@@,@
,,@,,,@@,@ ,,@,@@,@@,
,@@,,@,@@@ THEY WERE OF THE RIGHT LAKE. BUT THIS ,@@@,@@,@,
@,@,@@@,,, LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND @,,@@,@@@,
@@@@,,@,,, BIPARTITE. LIKE A PAIR OF LUNGS CARVED @,@,@@,,@@
,,,@,@@,,@ INTO THE GRANITE, AND WITH NO LESS THAN @@@@,@,@,,
,,@@@,@,@@ FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS ,,,@@@@@,,
,@,,@@@@,, POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE ,,@,,,,@,,
@@,@,,,@,@ IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY ,@@,,,@@,,
,@@@,,@@@@ UNDERSTOOD THEM AS BELONGING MANY MILES @,@,,@,@,@
@,,@,@,,,@ AWAY. @@@,@@@@@@
@,@@@@,,@@ ,,@@,,,,,,
@@,,,@,@,, I EXAMINED THE RIDGE, THE TREELINE ,@,@,,,,,@
,@,,@@@@,, ABOVE. WAS THIS WHAT YOU SAW OPPOSITE, @@@@,,,,@,
@@,@,,,@,@ FROM THOSE OTHER SHORES? I COULDN'T ,,,@,,,@@,
,@@@,,@@@@ REMEMBER. ,,@@,,@,@@
@,,@,@,,,, ,@,@,@@@,@
@,@@@@,,,@ CARRYING FORWARD, ON THE VERY TIP OF @@@@@,,@@,
@@,,,@,,@, THE ESKER, I FOUND THE RUINS OF SOME ,,,,@,@,@@
,@,,@@,@@, OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN ,,,@@@@@,,
@@,@,@@,@, MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH ,,@,,,,@,,
,@@@@,@@@@ THE MOSS, AND STRANGE SLABS INSERTED ,@@,,,@@,@
@,,,@@,,,, INTO THE SLOPE LIKE DAMS AGAINST THE @,@,,@,@@@
@,,@,@,,,@ GROUND ITSELF. @@@,@@@,,,
@,@@@@,,@, ,,@@,,@,,@
@@,,,@,@@@ SITTING THERE, I COULD SEE ACROSS THE ,@,@,@@,@,
,@,,@@@,,@ NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO WHERE I @@@@@,@@@@
@@,@,,@,@@ SAT: FROM THE STAIRWELL OF MY HOUSE, ,,,,@@,,,@
,@@@,@@@,@ THROUGH THE OLD WOODS BEHIND THE TILE ,,,@,@,,@,
@,,@@,,@@, FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE ,,@@@@,@@,
@,@,@,@,@@ TWENTY THREE AND THEN BACK UNDER IT, ,@,,,@@,@@
@@@@@@@@,@ THROUGH THE FANCY VILLAS, OVER THE @@,,@,@@,,
,,,,,,,@@, FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN AT THE ,@,@@@,@,@
,,,,,,@,@@ FORK. @@@,,@@@@@
,,,,,@@@,, ,,@,@,,,,@
,,,,@,,@,@ AND THEN THE STAIRS UP ON THE RIDGE. ,@@@@,,,@@
,,,@@,@@@, THINKING BACK, THIS WAS PROBABLY IT. @,,,@,,@,@
,,@,@@,,@, HIDDEN IN A GROVE, THERE WERE STAIRS @,,@@,@@@@
,@@@,@,@@, MUCH LIKE THE ONES I CURRENTLY SAT ON, @,@,@@,,,@
@,,@@@@,@@ OLD AND WORN DOWN, THAT LEAD YOU UP @@@@,@,,@@
@,@,,,@@,@ ONTO THE ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD ,,,@@@,@,,
@@@,,@,@@@ I INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE PATH AT ITS ,,@,,@@@,@
,,@,@@@,,@ FOOT, I'M SURE MY EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE ,@@,@,,@@,
,@@@,,@,@@ BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED. @,@@@,@,@,
@,,@,@@@,, @@,,@@@@@,
@,@@@,,@,@ ---------------------------------------- ,@,@,,,,@@
@@,,@,@@@, @@@@,,,@,,
,@,@@@,,@@ ON THE LAKE, THERE WERE PEOPLE IN ,,,@,,@@,@
@@@,,@,@,, BOATS. I WONDERED, COULD THEY EVEN SEE ,,@@,@,@@@
,,@,@@@@,, ME? IF I SHOUTED, WOULD THEY TURN TO ,@,@@@@,,,
,@@@,,,@,, STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME? @@@,,,@,,,
@,,@,,@@,@ ,,@,,@@,,,
@,@@,@,@@@ ,@@,@,@,,@
@@,@@@@,,@ @,@@@@@,@,
,@@,,,@,@, @@,,,,@@@@
@,@,,@@@@, ,@,,,@,,,@